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MMCM is proud to announce Maine's 1st cannabis radio show.

MMCM is sponsoring the show and we are working with 107.9 Mix Maine. The show will last 1 hour from 6PM to 7PM weekly on Mondays. The show will be hosted by station DJ Chris Rush and MMCM board member, Dawson Julia. Weekly guests will include: Senators and Representatives, activists, attorneys, doctors......etc. The show will be dedicated to informing, educating and activating Maine citizens who wish to help us fight the war of stigma and fear. Listeners can call in to ask questions or voice opinions.

We also plan to play lots of cannabis friendly music in between the conversations. Our 1st show is scheduled to start Feb 19th at 6PM so please be sure to tune in and tell your friends.

If you wish to help MMCM and our fight please consider becoming a member, making a donation or becoming active together with us in Augusta. There is currently a standby list for businesses that wish to advertise on the radio show so please let us know if you would like to be added to the list. Contact Cheryl at the office 207-596-3501 for more information.

To protect and promote your organization's interest in Augusta, you want experienced professionals with extensive networks of relationships among policymakers, their staff and their political confidantes. You demand not simply the names of key people, but knowledge of the nuances and historical connections that can significantly influence political decision-making. Furthermore, your public affairs efforts require a clear understanding of the legislative process and how to use its protections and devices appropriately and effectively.

Alysia Melnick, Bernstein Shur Law Firm

We welcome back Alysia, She helped create and draft LD 1296, which is the current law we are operating under now. When it comes to shaping laws and policies, lobbying, and building strong coalitions, Alysia has the experience, knowledge and passion that have proved successful against incredible odds. Having worked both inside and alongside government, she has the relationships, skills and "never say die" attitude that makes the difference in a tough fight.

Medical marijuana sales, caregivers and patient numbers decline

Caregivers and dispensary owners blame the 'gray market' caused by Maine's emerging adult-use market for the first decline in the state's medical marijuana industry since it began nearly 7 years ago

Representative Sanderson, has received an answer to her inquiry asking the governor if he would be agreeable to delaying the implementation of the Medical Cannabis rules while the HHS committee works on significant policy proposals to the program

The Governor has graciously agreed to Rep. Sanderson's request and has issued a letter to the DHHS delaying the rule implementation until May 1, 2018. This delay will allow the HHS committee to finish it's work.

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Division of Agricultural Resource Development, is seeking proposals for the FY2018 Agricultural Development Grant Program. In accordance with State procurement practices, the Department is hereby announcing the publication of a Request for Proposals (RFP# 201711189) for proposals from qualified applicants.The 119th Legislature authorized an Agricultural Development Fund (7 M.R.S.A., Chapter 10 §306A - 309). The Legislature identified the agricultural industry need for accelerating new market development, adoption of improved technology and promotion of agricultural products produced in Maine.The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may allocate the grant funds among projects involving market research, market promotion, or a combination of those activities for the purpose of expanding existing markets and developing new markets for agricultural products produced in Maine; or for testing and demonstrating new technologies related to the production, storage or processing of State agricultural products. All submitted proposals need to be for projects which demonstrate readiness and that can be commenced immediately upon acceptance.The Department has $250,000 available and may select multiple projects with maximum amounts of up to $50,000 per award.

The Commissioner has established priorities for this RFP. Proposals that incorporate one or more of the following priorities will be considered more favorably in the evaluation process:1. Technological and/or process improvements that demonstrate profitability of Maine grown crops, or result in reduction of costs associated with drought or other natural crop disturbances for Maine farmers.2. Product enhancements for value added, nutrition, marketing and/or food safety.3. Alternative markets or diversification; examples could be: participation in national or regional commodity events, special merchandising activities, expanded farm stands, or rural educational tours.4. Development or expansion of livestock processing.

A copy of the RFP, as well as the Question & Answer Summary, and all amendments related to this RFP can be obtained at the following website: http://www.maine.gov/purchases/venbid/rfp.shtmlProposals must be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services by 4:00 pm on January 4, 2018.

Seven 2017 Cannabis Legalization Bills in Play and What That Means for the Industry

November 29, 2017 by David Hodes

There is now a wide assortment of bills in Congress related to cannabis (and hemp) legalization and use. And while me these bills have not seen movement in 2017, the sheer number of them introduced in 2017 are creating a perfect story attention from Congress and more active committee discussion in 2018.

Here are a seven of the most active or long-ranging bills that cannabis business owners should be tracking and why:

1. Marijuana Effective Drug Study Act of 2017 (Senate bill 1803 sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and introduced September 13). The bill is designed to improve the process for conducting scientific research on marijuana as a safe and effective medical treatment. In introducing this legislation, Senator Hatch was joined by Senator Schatz (0-HI) and co-sponsors Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Se Thom Tillis (R-NC). Since then, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) have also sigrn on as cosponsors. The bill currently resides in the Senate Judiciary Committee. In announcing the bill, Hatch sai country has experimented with a variety of state solutions "without properly delving into the weeds on the effectiveness, safety, dosing, administration, and quality of medical marijuana." In his speech on the Senate floo1 Hatch reminded his colleagues that "it would be no surprise that he is strongly against the use of recreational marijuana. But I worry that in our zeal to enforce the law, we too often blind ourselves to the medicinal benefits o natural substances like cannabis," he said. "While I certainly do not support the use of marijuana for recreational purposes, the evidence shows that cannabis possesses medicinal properties that can truly change people's live~ the better." Why this bill matters: Hatch, a Mormon and a conservative, is a late convert to the benefits of medical marijuana and shows just how far acceptance for medical marijuana has come.

2. The Marijuana Justice Act (Senate bill 1689 sponsored by Senator Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, and introduced August 1 ). Booker introduced his bill with a flurry of press, much of it addressing how his bill would create repara for those communities and individuals damaged from law enforcement and wrongful incarceration. It called for$! million to fix the damages from the war on drugs. But no co-sponsors have joined, and the bill currently resides ii Senate Judiciary Committee. Why this bill matters: Booker is seen as a rising star in Congress and took a polit risk by introducing this bill. The bill attempts to correct the effects of the war on drugs and the racial disparities in enforcement, which makes it accessible to support from other members of Congress as part of a broader bi-part social agenda.

3. Veterans Equal Access Act (House bill 1820 sponsored by Representative Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, and introduced March 30). Blumenauer is one of the foremost proponents of cannabis legalization in Congress who i co-creator of the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment that bars the Justice Deparment from using its funds to down medical marijuana facilities in states where medical marijuana is legal. He also supports the Americans for Safe Access group, and the bill for which that organization advocates - the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act (CARERS). This bill has 18 co-sponsors, including Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) and Representative Tom Garrett (R-VA), all of whom a sponsors or co-sponsors of other marijuana-related bills. It has not moved since it was referred to the House Subcommittee on Health just a day after it was introduced. Why this bill matters: More veterans organizations · such as the American Legion, as demonstrated during a recent press conference on the Hill - are stepping up ti efforts to legalize marijuana for pain management and PTSD, and will be using this bill or introducing others in tr coming year to finally get what they want - or at least get closer to what they want.

4. Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act (House bill 2920 sponsored by Representative Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, and introduced June 15). This bill is designed to extend the principl• federalism to state drug policy, provide access to medical marijuana, and enable research into the medicinalproperties of marijuana. One of the most active marijuana legalization related bills, it has a record (for marijuana bills) 25 co-sponsors now, with ten joining since the beginning of October, including three just this week. Cosponsors include legalization advocates sponsoring or co-sponsoring other marijuana legalization bills: Reps. Rohrabacher, Thomas, Blumenauer and Polis. The bill currently resides in three House committees: Energy and Commerce, Judiciary and Veterans' Affairs. Why this bill m~tters: This bill is about helping seriously sick peopl treatment - especially children and others with epilepsy - and help fix the opioid epidemic. Because of the child epilepsy issue, this bill makes it easier for advocates of the bill to demonstrate real-world medical solutions that change live~ to fence-sitting members of Congress.

5. Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act (House bill 1841, sponsored by Representative Jared Polis, D-Colorado, arintroduced March 30). This bill was originally referred to five House committees - Judiciary, Energy and CommeWays and Means (subcommittee on Trade), Natural Resources (subcommittee on Federal Lands) and Agriculturhas 17 co-sponsors (16 Democrats), including seven from California and both legalization advocates on other bi(Representative Earl Blumenauer and Dana Rohrabacher). Why this bill matters: This bill puts the legalizationmatter to a straight-forward solution that makes it easier to understand, with the hope that it helps Congress seereasonable and historical pathway to legalization.

6. Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017 (House bill 1227, sponsored by Representative Tom Garrett, FVirginia, and introduced on February 27). This bill is essentially the same bill as a similar 2015 Bernie Sanders babout ending federal prohibition which stalled in committee. This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act toprovide that the Act's regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties do not apply to marijuar"Senator Sanders had an identical bill," Garrett says. "I know that because my legislative staff poached the bill. ftreally changed was the spelling of marijuana. His bill spelled it 'marihuana' ." It has 15 co-sponsors, including lealegalization advocates Blumenauer, Polis and Rohrabacher. It was referred to the House Subcommittee on CrimTerrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations in mid-March. Why this bill matters: Revising an essentially dversion of this bill created a stir originally but has since followed in the same pathway of other legalization bills b~stalling in committee. But it is one of the oldest bills that directly addresses the need for ending federal prohibitioand could be the bill that actually does that.

7. Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2017 (House bill 975, sponsored by Representative Dana Rohrabacher, RCalifornia, and introduced February 7). This bill also amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide that the ftregulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties do not apply to a person who produces,possesses, distributes, dispenses, administers, or delivers marijuana in compliance with state laws. It has 24 co·sponsors, including both Representatives Blumenauer and Polis, and now resides in the House Subcommittee cHealth where it has been three days after it was introduced. Why this bill matters: This bill promotes the state'~right issue of marijuana legalization, a critical component of keeping the industry moving forward and focused orcountry-wide legalization.

HERE’S What’s happening in the Medical Marijuana World in Maine

Saturday, November 18th, 1:00pm - 3:00pm

American Legion, 213 Capitol St, Augusta, ME (Look for the big Army Tank in front of the Building)

Join us for an Informational with Speaker, Catherine Lewis, Board Chair of MMCM

Information & Education on the NEW rules and regulations that effects Caregivers and Patients. Come to educate yourself for a better understanding!

Go To Our Website MMCM-ONLINE.ORG to read the State of Maine, Medical Use Of Marijuana Program Rule Chapter 122

MMMP RULE Changes Overview

The Department may/must-

• Take action necessary to ensure compliance.

• Request specific documents as proof of authorized conduct

o Patients must have photo ID and written cert

o Registered caregiver must have photo ID, registry ID card and designation card and designation form- up to maximum 5 cards and active patients; and trip tickets if transporting

o A primary caregiver employee or principal officer, board member or employee of a registered dispensary must have registry ID card

o Non-registered caregiver must have designation card and designation form- up to maximum 5

• Initiate an onsite assessment, which may include an interview, a paper review, and an inspection of premises hosting authorized conduct, to ensure compliance of an individual who engages in authorized conduct authorized prior to issuing a registry identification card, as a routine review, in response to an allegation of non-compliance or as part of a plan of correction.

• Conduct an inspection where the focus can be on

o Verifying information submitted in an application;

o Reviewing records for all required documents, including, but not limited to designation forms, registration, and licenses, labeling and employee records, as applicable;

o Conducting interviews; inspecting areas used for authorized conduct to ensure any marijuana, including plants, usable marijuana and incidental marijuana cultivated for medical use, is within the specified limit and is identifiable and maintained as required;

o Taking samples of marijuana cultivated for medical use and products containing marijuana for medical use; and

o Assessing conduct for compliance with the rule and statute.

• Take remedial action for non-compliance which may include directed corrective action; suspension, revocation and denial of a registry identification card or registration certificate, as specified; civil penalties; and referral the conduct is outside the scope of MMMP, is not appropriate for agency directed corrective action, or has not been rectified through correction action.

• Request entry to inspect a dispensary or registered caregiver without notification.

o Upon refusal, may refer to law enforcement when compliance cannot be determined

o If denied entry by a cardholder, take action to revoke the registry identification card or dispensary registration certificate.

• Consider failing to comply with assessment process/inspection a violation of the rule

• Refer to other if the conduct is outside the scope of MMMP, is not appropriate for agency directed corrective action, or has not been rectified through correction action.

• Suspend a dispensary certificate on an emergency basis

• Report medical provider to licensing boards, regarding the inappropriate evaluation or treatment of a patient’s medical condition or a reported alleged violation of the applicable standard of care, or when determined non-compliant

• Take samples, photographs or electronic copies may be taken during an on-site assessment to determine compliance.

• Provide technical assistance during an inspection or move to a progressive enforcement action (fines or penalties, required plan of correction, registration denial or revocation, and referral to law enforcement) if compliance cannot be determined when conducting an on-site assessment, or when a finding of non-compliance is not resolved through technical assistance provided on-site or through other remedial action.

• Request a plan of correction which must include action steps to correct any finding, violation or deficiency noted by the Department in the notice of non-compliance; specific deadlines for each corrective action step; and steps to reduce potential future violation.

• Issue a directed plan of correction

• Determine a registry identification card applicant ineligible if the applicant has failed to demonstrate compliance with this rule and the statute; and the applicant is/will be using a location for authorized conduct where such conduct is prohibited by the host municipality’s local codes and ordinances.

The Department may/must-

• Take action necessary to ensure compliance.

• Document reports of non-compliance that result in an on-site assessment

• Provide at least 24 hours as notification if entering to inspect areas within the residence of a person not required to register.

• Show proof of identity when requesting entry and prior to inspecting, provide the written reason for the on-site assessment and take measures to reduce potential disruption and contamination to area during and inspection

• Maintain chain-of-custody and provide receipt for samples collected

• Issue notice of non-compliance that is to include appeal rights

• Issue written notice of denial or revocation of card which must include reason for action and section of rule or statute, date action takes effect and the right to appeal.

• Person received notice when the person signs for receipt or 3 days after Dept mailed 1st class to last known address

• Seek a district court order terminating a dispensary registration certificate or seek emergency suspension.

• Enforce date of revocation as being 3 days after written notice is mailed first class

• Provide the subject of an on-site assessment report within 30 days and indicate whether any violation was identified and, if corrective action was taken, and the action and its outcome. (No action required; finding of non-compliance; immediate action against dispensary certificate)

MMJ Cardholders/Participants may/must-

• Possess amounts of marijuana up to the limits specified in the statue (as a patient and on behalf of a patient possess up to 2 ½ ounces of prepared marijuana, 6 mature plants, 12 non-flowering, unlimited seedlings and 8 lbs of unprocessed/incidental)

• As a patient, designate one source to cultivate on their behalf, and also cultivate within limit

• Share a cultivation location if the caregivers are family or household members and there is only two caregivers (22 MRS §2423-A (1)(B) and (3)(D).)

• Share a cultivation location if the patients are family or household members, and patient can share with more than two other patients

• Assist any patient who designates them- up to 5 current/valid designations for caregivers, and discontinue a designation by signing and dating designation form and returning designation card.

• Re-apply for a registry identification card after 30 days of revocation or denial if they can demonstrate compliance

• Prepare goods containing marijuana for a patient who is a member of the primary caregiver’s family or household and furnish that product to only that patient, without a food establishment license

• As a caregiver, rent separate, self-contained, locked and secured locations within a building and store cultivation-related materials in common area if they, as a caregiver, are not assisting another caregiver and marijuana is locked and secure.

• As a dispensary, report failed drug tests and may have a policy to specify that the reporting of the presence of marijuana for an employee who possesses a valid written certification is not required and the employee’s status as a qualifying patient is confidential.

• As a registered caregiver, employ one person to assist in caregiver-assigned duties, if personnel files is maintained and provide limited marijuana to dispensary approved for such transfer

• As a incapacitated adult or minor patient or patient who resides in nursing/hospice facility, designate a second primary caregiver

• As a dispensary, cultivate up to 30 plants outdoors

• Report total amount of marijuana on packaged goods

• Be inspected if they are a registry identification card applicant

MMJ Cardholders/Participants may/must

• Comply, to receive protection as an authorized person and to avoid progressive enforcement action.

• Forfeit excess to law enforcement

• Identify each plant and patient file with patient’s written certification number

• Report, at least annually, the total number of patients, with designation dates and patient’s certification unique identifier

• As a caregiver, report if a designation is not re-filled within 10 days unless the caregiver has 5 cards; and, as a dispensary, report patient count monthly.

• As a dispensary, request approval to acquire prepared marijuana from a registered caregiver

Maine CDC Rulemaking

This message provides notice of rulemaking by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention for the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Program Rule, 10-144 C.M.R. Ch.122.You can access the complete rule and related rulemaking documents by going to the Maine CDC Rules webpage. Interested parties may request a paper copy of this adopted rule by calling (207) 287-9394 or Maine Relay number 711.Additional information regarding the rulemaking process and weekly rulemaking updates can be found by going to the Secretary of State website.

NOTICE OF AGENCY RULEMAKING ADOPTION

AGENCY: Maine CDC

CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: 10-144 CMR, Chapter 122; Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Program Rule

Changes establish the following: new terms and definitions; a system to monitor and enforce compliance actions; and requirements for registry identification card applications, patient designations, written certifications, including medical provider-patient relationship, and reporting and record-keeping by caregivers and dispensaries. The adopted rule prohibits a visiting patient from cultivating marijuana for medical use, requires Department-approval to acquire excess marijuana, and requires medical provider endorsement to petition to add to the list of debilitating conditions. Additionally, the adopted rule removes the provision requiring the identification of an authorized person to be held by the caregiver or dispensary while the person is in the cultivation area, permits a medical provider to proceed with certifying a minor patient in the absence of a list of consulting physicians and requires nursing facilities that assist qualifying patient to have policies related to the storage, use and administration of marijuana for medical use. Changes clarify what constitutes a “collective” and update application fees to be consistent with current practice.

Update!

MLI (Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee) will be having another meeting on Thursday, Oct 12th@ 9:00am (TRA Committee Room, State House room 126) to review a revised draft of the committee bill (the majority report) and the minority report, which was voted on last Thursday (9/28) , once the draft is made public we will share.....

Legislative panel signs off on bill to spell out Maine’s rules for recreational pot

Public Hearing - Tuesday, September 26, starting at 9:00 am

A few points picked up on.... Dispensaries are able to convert to "for profit". 12 plants per parcel whether medical or otherwise. Meaning the the patients at my house are now not all allowed to grow at same time. Also, going with both plant count and canopy for some tiers of growing.

You can send written testimonies to....This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Because the Committee anticipates a large turnout for the hearing, please be advised of the following:

(1) If you wish to testify, please sign up at table outside Room 228 the morning of the hearing. The order of testimony will follow the order of the sign-up sheets. Sign-up sheets will be available starting at 8:15 am on the 26th.

(2) If you plan on distributing copies of your testimony or other printed materials along with your testimony, please bring at least 25 copies of those materials for distribution.

(3) Testimony will be limited to 3 minutes per individual speaker.

(4) There will not be additional copies of the committee bill available at the public hearing.

(5) There will be two overflow rooms available if seating in Room 228 is full. Information on the overflow rooms will be provided at the hearing.

R Cullen Stuart Memorial Fund

One of Cullen's favorite events, MOFGA's Common Ground Fair, is this coming weekend. There will be a remembrance celebration in his honor at the Social/Political tent this Saturday, Sept. 23 @ 5:00. All are welcome! Friends are raising funds to plant a tree at the fairground in his memory. Any donations are greatly appreciated and will be used to plant a tree and further hemp production in Maine. Thank you!

Public Hearing - Tuesday, September 26, starting at 9:00 am

A few points picked up on.... Dispensaries are able to convert to "for profit". 12 plants per parcel whether medical or otherwise. Meaning the the patients at my house are now not all allowed to grow at same time.Also, going with both plant count and canopy for some tiers of growing.

You can send written testimonies to....This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Because the Committee anticipates a large turnout for the hearing, please be advised of the following:

(1) If you wish to testify, please sign up at table outside Room 228 the morning of the hearing. The order of testimony will follow the order of the sign-up sheets. Sign-up sheets will be available starting at 8:15 am on the 26th.

(2) If you plan on distributing copies of your testimony or other printed materials along with your testimony, please bring at least 25 copies of those materials for distribution.

(3) Testimony will be limited to 3 minutes per individual speaker.

(4) There will not be additional copies of the committee bill available at the public hearing.

(5) There will be two overflow rooms available if seating in Room 228 is full. Information on the overflow rooms will be provided at the hearing.

AUGUSTA— The 2017 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign kicks-off at 8:30 a.m. on August 29 at the Augusta Armory, 179 Western Avenue, in a statewide effort to commit at least 100 employers to hire at least 100 veterans and military family members during the 100-day period. Opening remarks from First Lady Ann LePage and Labor Commissioner John Butera will be followed by a hiring fair with more than 120 employers that are looking to recruit veterans, military family members and civilians. The event is open to the public.

“Through the Hire-A-Vet campaign, more employers are discovering the value veterans bring to their workforce,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “Ann and I fully support this successful initiative, and look forward to helping make this year’s effort reach more employers and get more veterans good paying careers in our state. Whether you are a veteran or an employer, we urge you to connect with this campaign to help us meet Maine’s workforce needs. Veterans’ skills include teamwork, leadership, technology, and tremendous discipline that can benefit all of our businesses.”

The Maine Hire-A-Vet campaign provides support for employers to expand the hiring of veterans, to include a network of state and federal agencies, resources and nonprofits, education on military language and culture, recruiting and hiring assistance, and recognition for the hiring and advancement of veterans and military family members. Employers who want to join the 2017 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign can contact Steven Roy, Campaign Coordinator, at 207-624-5156 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. TTY users call Maine Relay 711.

At the end of the 2016 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign, 147 employers had participated and 197 veterans were hired with an average placement wage of $22.23 per hour. Follow the campaign on social media with #MHAV17 and on Facebook, @MaineHireAVet.

Veterans, military family members and civilians seeking assistance in job search and training are encouraged to contact their closest Maine CareerCenter, which can be found online at www.mainecareercenter.gov/locations. Veterans Representatives and Career Counselors are available at each location. Employers that pledge to join the campaign are not required to hire veterans they interview in order to participate.

Maine Department of Labor and Maine CareerCenters are equal opportunity providers. Auxiliary aids and services are available to individuals with disabilities upon request.

**Exhibitors**

- AAA Northern New England

- Acadia National Park

- Adecco

- Aero Heating & Ventilating, Inc.

- Anderson Merchandisers

- AngleZ Behavioral Health Services

- athenahealth

- Backyard Farms

- Bath Iron Works

- Blane Casey Building Contractor, Inc.

- Bonney Staffing

- Boston Brands of Maine

- Break of Day Mental Health Group

- Capital Area Staffing Solutions, Inc.

- Care & Comfort

- Catholic Charities

- Central Maine Healthcare

- Cianbro

- City of Augusta

- Community Health & Counseling Services

- Community Partners Inc.

- Cumberland County Sheriff's Office

- Cunningham Security Systems

- Dead River Company

- DuraLife-Integrity Composites LLC

- EMHS

- ESM, Inc.

- Fedcap Rehabilitation Services, Inc.

- Fisher Engineering

- Freedom Xpress Inc.

- Futureguard Building Products, Inc.

- Geiger

- General Dynamics - Saco

- Goodwill Industries

- Gorham Sand & Gravel

- Hamilton Marine

- Hancock Lumber

- Hannaford

- HMS Host

- Hodgdon Green Elderly Care

- Hutchins Trucking Co.

- IDEXX

- Irving Forest Products

- J.S. McCarthy Printers

- Johnny's Selected Seeds

- Journey's End Marina

- Kelly Services, Inc.

- Kennebec County Sheriff's Office

- Law Office of David Levesque, P.A.

- Ledgemere Transportation

- Life Share

- Lowe's Store - Brunswick

- Lucas Tree Experts

- Maine Bureau of Human Resources

- Maine Job Corps

- Maine Department of Administrative & Financial Services

- Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry

- Maine Department of Corrections

- Maine Department of Environmental Protection

- Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family

- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

- Maine Department of Marine Resources

- Maine Department of Public Safety

- Maine Department of Transportation

- Maine Drilling and Blasting

- Maine Office of Information Technology

- Maine Office of Secretary of State

- Maine Revenue Services

- Maine State Police

- MaineGeneral Health/MaineHealth

- Manpower

- Mid-Coast Energy Systems

- Modern Woodmen of America

- Molnlycke

- Motivational Services

- NBM Railways

- Northeast Spray Insulation, Inc.

- Norway Savings Bank

- OceanView at Falmouth

- OnProcess Technology

- Opportunity Enterprises

- Pathways of Maine

- Paul G. White Interior Solutions

- Paychex

- PCG Health

- People Ready

- Poland Springs

- Port Resources

- Portland Police Department

- Pratt & Whitney

- Prudential

- Reed & Reed

- ReVision Energy

- Sam's Club - Scarborough

- Genesis Healthcare

- Seabreeze

- Seafax-OneSource

- Securitas

- Shaw's

- Social Security Office

- South Portland Police

- Spectrum

- Spurwink Services

- St. Mary's Health System

- Superior Carriers

- TD Bank

- Texas Instruments

- The Westin Portland Harborview

- Tire Warehouse

- T-Moblie

- Tradesmen International Marine North - Transworld Systems, Inc.

- Tyler Technologies

- U.S. Cellular

- Uplift. Inc.

- UPS

- U.S. Border Patrol

- VA Maine Healthcare System

- Viking Inc.

- Woodlands Senior Living

Mainers won’t be selling recreational pot by February deadline

The legislative wheels are turning, but too slowly to move marijuana out of the black market this winter.

Maine won’t make its February deadline for beginning the sale of recreational marijuana and won’t be ready to do so until next summer, at the earliest, according to the committee tasked with implementing legalization.

A special legislative commission finished its preliminary work on how Mainers can grow, sell and buy recreational marijuana Tuesday, tackling issues ranging from licensing fees to tax rates to consumer protections. Now analysts will turn months of committee straw votes into the draft bill that will go to a public hearing next month and a full legislative vote in October.

But the agencies that will oversee the launch and daily operations of Maine’s recreational market will not have time to write departmental rules, hire new inspectors and staff, and license growers, retailers and testing labs before a legislative moratorium on adult sales ends in February, said Sen. Roger Katz of Augusta, a committee co-chairman.

“We want to get marijuana out of the black market and we want to do that as quickly as possible, but we need to do it right,” Katz said. “It is such a big subject and there was so much to consider. As it is, we’re remaining silent on some subjects, leaving others to consider them on other days, because we couldn’t possibly do it all.”

In January, the Legislature delayed implementation of all but the home grow sections of the Marijuana Legalization Act until February 2018 to give the state time to draft a regulatory framework for retail cultivation and sales that will be overseen by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services.

Advocates are critical of certain parts of the proposed bill, such as home grow restrictions, a requirement that most licensees have large cash deposits on hand that remain untouched, and the absence of provisions to allow for marijuana social clubs, but it is the delay in launching the recreational market that frustrates them most.

“The law as written and adopted by voters would have gotten the legal marketplace up and running as soon as possible,” said Paul McCarrier, president of Legalize Maine. “We could have a program ready to issue licenses now, but the committee thought it knew better than the voters. It has made one change after another, and each change pushes the timeline back ... and keeps the black market going.”

McCarrier predicts that Maine will not issue its first adult-use licenses until summer 2018, more than a year and a half after voters approved it at referendum.

At past meetings, the marijuana committee agreed that Maine shouldn’t be the first state in the country to allow marijuana social clubs, limited the number of plants that could be grown for personal use on any one piece of property to 12 no matter how many people live there, and set the combined tax rate on recreational marijuana at 20 percent, with up to 5 percent of taxes collected to go to the host community.

In Maine, this tax scheme would drive the price of marijuana up from an average of about $200 an ounce to about $240, with a $20 excise tax levied on the cultivator, which would be built into the price, and a $20 sales tax charged to consumers at the time of sale. The host town would get $2 of that $40, with the rest going to the state.

On Tuesday, the committee tackled the last remaining topics of debate, some of which had left them divided at previous meetings, such as:

• Employers can refuse to hire job applicants or fire employees who use recreational marijuana, but landlords cannot reject or evict a tenant for recreational marijuana use.

• State regulatory agencies must hire law enforcement officers to enforce recreational marijuana laws, just like the state Department of Marine Resources uses patrol officers to enforce state conservation laws.

• State regulatory agencies can conduct annual or random inspections of recreational marijuana license holders, but it is not required.

• License holders can face revocation, suspension and fines of up to $100,000 for committing public safety violations, up to $50,000 for license violations and up to $10,000 for a license infraction, in addition to possible criminal penalties brought by law enforcement.

• Someone who is caught violating the home grow rules established by the bill could face up to a $1,000 fine, in addition to criminal penalties.

But the committee left other topics alone, deciding it didn’t have the time, expertise or jurisdiction to do things like deciding how recreational marijuana use is going to impact the job fitness of someone who is currently receiving unemployment benefits, or improving the state’s medical marijuana program or considering how to bring it under the same regulatory umbrella as recreational marijuana.

Committee analysts plan to have a draft bill written by the first week of September. They will meet with the committee chairmen, Katz and Rep. Teresa Pierce of Falmouth, to reconcile their summary of the committee’s various straw polls. A cleaned-up version of the draft bill will go to a Sept. 26 public hearing. The committee will discuss public testimony over the next two days before holding a final vote.

Once the measure is vetted, Katz, a Republican, and Pierce, a Democrat, will ask the state Legislature to convene a special session in October to consider the bill. The committee will have to sell the merits of the proposal to fellow lawmakers, many of whom have been on summer break while the committee did the bulk of its work, Katz said. Many lawmakers remain opposed to legalization, even after the referendum.

“We have an education job ahead of us,” Katz said. “A lot of people are not happy the law passed. To those people, I would say there are only two groups that want to see a regulated market set up – people who like marijuana and people who don’t like marijuana. Because really, we all have an interest in making the product safe, keeping it out of the hands of children, taxing it appropriately and keeping sales out of the black market.”

If approved, the agriculture and administrative and financial services departments will hire consultants to help write the rules needed to launch and run the new tightly regulated market, and guide them through the licensing process. At this point, it is up to the state’s executive branch to move as quickly as possible to launch the market, but the committee can’t force its hand with a deadline, Katz and Pierce said.

Discussions with the administration of Gov. Paul LePage have been minimal, Katz said. LePage campaigned against legalization last fall, and has said he would like to see it repealed. Katz and Pierce would like LePage to follow in the footsteps of Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. He didn’t want legalization, but once voters adopted it, he worked to implement it as smoothly as possible.

They urged LePage to appoint a marijuana coordinator to his cabinet, like Hickenlooper did in Colorado, but they haven’t gotten a response to their suggestions. As lawmakers, they can’t force the regulatory agencies to begin sales until rules are in place, and there is no mechanism for speeding up the process in a responsible manner, they said.

July 27, 2017 by David Hodes 1 CommentIn a move closely watched by the cannabis industry, an amendment by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, was approved Thursday, giving another year of protection from federal interference to medical marijuana businesses in states where it has been legalized.The amendment, the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment (see link here) amends the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to prohibit the use of federal funds to prevent the implementation of states’ medical cannabis laws.It passed overwhelmingly by voice vote.

The amendment has been included in each annual budget bill since 2014. Similar language has been carried in enacted CJS Appropriations Acts since FY15, when the House added it in a floor amendment and kept it in conference.The only change to the Leahy amendment’s language from last year is that it includes new states (Indiana and North Dakota).In a statement released Thursday afternoon, Leahy reminded cannabis business owners and operators that “the amendment does not prevent federal law enforcement from pursuing individuals or dispensaries that are not in compliance with state laws,” and that “without this provision, Attorney General Sessions has signaled he may target medical marijuana patients and providers for violating federal drug laws.”The amendment does not prevent federal law enforcement from pursuing individuals or dispensaries that are not in compliance with state laws.Industry advocates were quick to respond to the good news.National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) executive director Aaron Smith wrote in a statement that it was great to see members of the appropriations committee stand up for medical cannabis patients, and “the responsible businesses that serve them, and the states that have worked hard to create safe, regulated programs. Now it’s time for the House to do the same. Patients deserve access to care, states deserve respect, and members of the House deserve the opportunity to vote on amendments like this that have the strong support of their constituents.”Whether or not the House of Representatives will take a vote on the amendment is unclear. They did not include its language in the version of the 2018 CJS bill that passed the House Appropriations Committee earlier this month. Last year, the amendment passed on the floor of the House by a vote of 242-186. If the CJS budget is approved in the Senate, the amendment will go to a special conference committee to reach a compromise with the House. If no budget is approved by September 30, the previous amendment will be automatically renewed for another year.In a blog on the website for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Justin Strekal, the political director at NORML, wrote that the decision to reauthorize the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment language by the Senate committee illustrates both compassion and common sense when it comes to marijuana policy. “Now, the majority of states and over 90 percent of the public approves of the use of marijuana as a medicine and Congress should not stand in the way of these reforms,” he wrote.From the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), Don Murphy, a former member of the Maryland General Assembly and MPP’s director of conservative outreach, issued this statement: “More than half the states have taken a stand and said they want their seriously ill residents to have safe and reliable access to medical marijuana, and today the Senate Appropriations Committee listened. What was expected to be a very successful vote passed on an overwhelming voice vote, while opposition to the Leahy amendment was literally a whimper. That sound we heard in the Senate was the sound of a waving white flag as the federal war on medical marijuana patients and providers winds down.”A Quinnipiac University National Poll in April found that American voters say 60 – 34 percent “that the use of marijuana should be made legal in the U.S.,” the highest level of support for legalized marijuana in a Quinnipiac University national poll. Republicans and voters over 65 years old are the only listed party, gender, education, age or racial groups to oppose legalized marijuana.Voters also support 94 – 5 percent “allowing adults to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if their doctor prescribes it,” also the highest level of support in any national poll by the the university.Voters oppose 73 – 21 percent government enforcement of federal laws against marijuana in states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana. No group supports enforcement in states where marijuana is legal.

In Memory Of R Cullen Stuart

We are sad to announce the tragic passing of our dear friend and long time Advisory Board member Cullen Stuart. He was a long time activist and supporter of the cannabis movement. As an elder in the community he helped educate not only our legislature and community at large, he helped educate the new generation of hemp farmers. Our support and prayers go to his family. He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed!

Robert “Cullen” Stuart moved to Maine from Chariton, Iowa in the early 1980's. Always eager to learn, he graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a degree in Soil and Water Science. He worked for many years in the Lincoln Pulp and Paper Mill in the Environmental Dept., helping ensure that the mill stayed in compliance with environmental laws. Ever the fighter for truth and justice, he was a life long advocate for the hemp plant and it's many uses. In a time not so long ago, when it was not popular, if not risky, to speak out against cannabis prohibition, he never let prohibitionists malign “The Herb Superb”. His Hemp Education Booth was a strong presence at the Maine Organic Farmer and Gardner's Association Common Ground Fair for over 30 years. Throughout his life, he was an important voice of unbounded hemp enthusiasm, educating crowds of children and adults alike on the many benefits of the hemp plant to society. His love for the hemp plant was only exceeded by his love of his wife, Sarah. Cullen was a kind, generous person, always there to help before he was asked or before others even knew there was a need. He was loved by many and will be sorely missed. And don't get me started on his dissection of the so called War on Drugs...

Congress Ties Jeff Sessions' Hands on Medical Marijuana

At least for now, the DOJ is likely to be barred from going after pot growers, sellers and users in states where medical weed's legal.Attorney General Jeff Sessions is the bogey man to many in the nation's burgeoning marijuana industry. Many pot entrepreneurs fear that the nation's top law enforcement officer – who once said "good people don't smoke pot" – will use the full force of the federal government to raid their businesses, even though the majority of U.S. voters support legal or recreational marijuana.But this week, medicinal marijuana business owners and patients are breathing a sigh of relief: The compromise bill to fund the government through September includes an extension of a provision that keeps Sessions' hands tied by explicitly barring the Department of Justice from using its resources to go after marijuana growers, sellers and users in the more than two dozen states, plus D.C., that have legalized medical marijuana – though, inexplicably, North Dakota and Indiana were left out (possibly because of a clerical error)."Sessions is a tremendous concern. On the other hand, I don't think the Trump administration is going to want to see him busting into states that have thoughtfully legalized marijuana and the larger number of states that have legalized medical marijuana," Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon tells Rolling Stone. "I think it would cost Trump dearly amongst his support group if Sessions were to carry out that mission."

Interesting News!

The medical marijuana program in Maine is red-hot, with the number of MMJ patients swelling in the past year. But the reason for the program's success appears to be quite different than for other states' growing MMJ industries - and it could have an impact on the state's new adult-use industry. For more details, check out our exclusive Chart of the Week: https://mjbizdaily.com/?p=66911Marijuana Business Daily | A Division of Anne Holland Ventures Inc.

What a Great Idea…for our Caregivers!

A letter sent in by one of MMCM’s dedicated members at work.....

“Catherine you are a gem! A diplomatic, sane and logical voice for the MMJ program. Listening to you last night at MMCM monthly networking meeting and, this morning on *WVOM gave me the push to start a letter campaign with my patients to their respective local representatives. Free medicine for a copy of their letter to the proper representatives. Thank You! Its' not impossible to achieve our goals, just a lot of hard work. My crew and I are rolling our sleeves up! Time to work”

*Listen to Catherine Lewis, President of MMCM, on WVOM radio this morning...responding to Governor LePages’s Comments on Medical Marijuana...... click here

We need your Support! Come on Folks ….. Save our Medical Program

Next week on Tuesday April 4th at 1PM, there will be a Public Hearing on LD 1064 "An Act To Require That Health Insurance Policies Cover Medical Marijuana".

The Hearing will take place in Cross Bldg. Rm # 220. You can come and submit 2-3 minutes of verbal testimony to the Committee or Submit written testimony. Instead of printing of 20 copies, we would advise you to print off your own, and submit a digital copy to the clerk via email (toner is Pricey).

Submit your testimony to the Committee Clerk, Veronica Snow. Her email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.The Audio Link for the Committee is provided here, so feel free to listen in!Audio Link: Audio Link: http://legislature.maine.gov/Audio/#220

Also, Same Day same time.....There will be a Work Session on LD 243 “An Act To Change the oversight Agency for Recreational Marijuana from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations and to Allocate Funds for Implementation”The Hearing will take place in Cross Bldg Rm #216.

Submit your testimony to the Committee Clerk, Steven Langlin. His email isThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We need to stick together… as communities joining across Maine!

Everyone has seen Municipalities take an aggressive stance in the wake of the Adult Use vote in November. Some have enacted land use Ordinances and Zoning, while others have outright Banned (Newport). Many Municipalities have also not bothered to distinguish between Medical providers from Adult Use providers.Another consideration on the table will be LD 672 "An Act To Clarify a Municipality's Authority To Adopt and Enforce Land Use Regulations for Marijuana Facilities"We would like to ask help from the general public to Confront this and be present to advise Municipalities so that we do not suffer an unintentionally altered Medical access issue taken on at the Local level.ACTION: We would like to ask members of the general public, patients and other concerned citizens to reach out, by either calling or emailing our office. Let us know if you know of municipalities which are enacting these local rules. Information you provide us with... can help protect Maine’s Patients and Caregivers from costly legislative errors made at the local level. We will need all members of our communities to engage, to help educate our local selectmen and town representatives on how we can improve situations that towns face across Maine. MMCM would like to track these municipalities so that we can help to organize community outreach and engagement with these municipalities. This will be a complex task and we need YOUR help!!MMCM Office Phone: (207) 596-3501MMCM Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.MMCM Municipality Tracking Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/.../2599821844559.../admin_activities

Another note, on the Federal side....

HR 975 Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2017

This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide that the Act's regulatory controls and administrative, civil and criminal penalties do not apply to a person who produces, possesses, distributes, dispenses, administers, or delivers marijuana in compliance with state laws.

Lets encourage folks to call or email their congress and senate Representatives in Washington DC; that would be Polliquin, Pingree, Collins, and King. Ask them to vote for and co-sponsor HR975, Respect Marijuana Laws Act of 2017 in the 115th Congress. Request a written response....

LETS KEEP ON WRITING THOSE TESTIMONIES!

The Joint Select Committee on Marijuana Legalization Implementation is hosting another Public Meeting at 9 a.m. Friday, March 17th, in Cross Building 216, Augusta, Maine.

"An act to change the oversight Agency for Recreational Marijuana from the Dept of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Department of Administration and Financial Services, Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations and to allocate Funds for Implementation"

Again, please copy MMCM when you send your testimony to:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Committee Clerk)

Those who cannot attend the meeting are welcome to send emails of any written testimony. Those who do come bring 25 copies

Another Reason to write to your Representatives...

Dear Business: Account holder,Thank you for your membership at cPort. We value your business, and we want to inform you of an upcoming change to your cannabis-related business account.

As you are aware, as long as cannabis remains illegal under federal law, each cannabis-related business account at cPort represents heightened compliance risks, entailing specific account opening procedures, enhanced monitoring, and filings compared to our standard business accounts.

As the number of our cannabis-related business accounts has grown so, too, have these compliance risks and our time spent on these accounts. Commencing April 1, 2017, we are therefore instituting a monthly $35 fee, together with a 0.1 % cash transaction fee, reflecting the investment required by cPort to service these accounts.

17.01.20 MMCM Annual Meeting at Senator Inn in Augusta

The annual meeting of the Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine was held at the Senator Inn in Augusta on January 20, 2017.Katie Digget sang and played before Chair Catherine Lewis and Treasurer Darrell Gudroe gave their reports to start the meeting.Legislative Committee Chair Maureen McKerns spoke about the past year's legislative session and the goals for the upcoming session.Chris VanDyke of C-Port Credit Union talked about C-Port's role in offering accounts to growers and caregivers.Representative Deb Sanderson and Senator Eric Brakey encouraged patients and caregivers to get involved in the legislature.Dr. Dustin Sulak of Integr8 presented an excellent talk on medical cannabis dosing levels.Maine medical marijuana patients, Rick (father) and Austin (son), spoke about their brain injuries and the power of medical cannabis.Bridget Kirouac, a Maine medical marijuana patient living in Florida, spoke about her arrest for growing in Florida and how Dr. Dustin Sulak testified at her trial and won her an acquittal.Dan Thayer, President and co-founder of Thayer Corporation and LifeSpring, spoke about the future challenges facing growers and caregivers in regard to building and zoning ordinances.Canna Cares Doc CEO Kevin Kafka ended the evening with a review of the national status of medical marijuana.For information about the Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine, go to mmcm-online.org

Maine Legislature Media Streaming - Listen LIVE or Archive

An Act To Delay the Implementation of Certain Portions of the Marijuana Legalization Act

This is your chance to give testimony...if you cannot make it today, please do a written testimony and Email to your Representative, send to :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.*Please stress the importance of preserving the Medical Program during implementation of Adult Use

Legislative Update January 18, 2017

The work of the 128th session of the Maine Legislature has begun. There may be as many as 70 marijuana bills working their way through the system but this number is not unusually large. There were 83 bills sponsored in the 127th Legislative Session.The titles of the sponsored bills for this session have been released but not the content. These titles provide clues and topics include: Edibles, OUI, Testing, Repeal, Regulate.Leading the others on information release and scheduling are two sponsored bills.

LD 88, HP 66,128th Legislature An Act To Delay the Implementation of Certain Portions of the Marijuana Legalization Act

MMCM has submitted a comprehensive bill to expand the medical marijuana program and to regulate that expansion. An Act to Amend Maine’s Medical Marijuana Law. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Deb Sanderson and Senator Eric Brakey. The bill is at the Revisor’s Office awaiting production into final form. The Revisor's Office is the Legislature's central production office where all legislative instruments, including bills and amendments, are initially filed and then produced in final form for introduction. The final form of the bill will be available when it has completed the Revisor’s process.

In 2017, cannabis is now more legal and accessible than ever. And its growing use is presenting new problems for law enforcement. Chief among those issues is how to handle folks who chief and drive. This issue is this: there is no reliable way to test how cannabis use influences driving. And in fact, several studies show that marijuana use does not impact driving ability very much. In light of this, an Arizona court ruled last week that legal medical cannabis patients can fight their DUI charges.

Following Arizona’s Court of Appeals ruling, the burden of proof for charging cannabis users with a DUI is now on the police, not patients. Medical marijuana patients charged with a DUI can fight it in court. Importantly, this means that it’s now up to the arresting officer to prove that the THC impaired the driver.

And police are going to have a hard time doing so, because of two factors. Firstly, how impaired a driver is, has little to do with the amount of THC in their bloodstream. And secondly, people respond to THC very differently. So there’s no concrete basis for setting a legal limit on THC, unlike alcohol. What gets one person too high to drive might not affect another person very much.

Even the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration admits that it’s impossible to tell intoxication based on THC levels. Their website states that it is “difficult to establish a relationship” between THC in the blood and impairment.

It also says that it is “inadvisable” and “impossible” to predict any specific impacts based on THC concentration. Put simply, just because you have cannabis in your system doesn’t mean your driving will suck.

Taking all of this evidence into account, Arizona‘s medical cannabis patients are now legally entitled to fight the DUI charges. According to the court opinion from Judge Diane M. Johnsen, Arizona law doesn’t set a legal level for THC intoxication.

And the mere presence of THC in a driver’s system doesn’t make them intoxicated by default. Therefore, the court concluded, it is fair to hear challenges from medical cannabis patients who believe police unfairly gave them a DUI.

So how does someone challenge a DUI under the new ruling? All they have to do is present evidence that they were not impaired while driving. The accused individual can do this by cross-examining the arresting officer. Drivers accused of DUIs for cannabis use can also hear testimony from forensic experts provided by the state.

All of this dates back to a 2013 arrest of Nadir Ishak. Ishak is a medical cannabis patient who was charged with a DUI after police pulled him over and noticed his bloodshot and glassy eyes. A judge later convicted Ishak for driving with marijuana in his system.

However, during his day in court, Ishak was prevented from presenting evidence that he was a registered, legal medical marijuana patient. Ishak’s case has since been thrown out. Thanks to the new ruling, other patients charged with DUI will be able to fight the charges against them.

REMINDER… AS A (Cannabis) BUSINESS OWNER…END OF YEAR…SALES TAX!

This is intended as advice to assist folks in complying with their obligations under Maine Tax Law.Medical Marijuana dispensaries and Primary Caregivers registered with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services are retailers...and are required to register as retailers with MRS and remitting Maine Sales Tax.

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is currently accepting applications to grow industrial hemp for the 2017 growing season. Applications can be obtained on the Industrial Hemp Website. Applications must be received by April 1.

Questions? Contact Gary Fish at 207-287-7545 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Explanation of Industrial Hemp Licensing Fees

Maine law requires that the Department cover the costs of operating the industrial hemp program by charging an application fee, license fee and a per acre fee. These fees are as follows:

$100 application fee – this fee must be submitted with the application.$500 license fee – this fee is due after approval of the application and must be submitted with the signed licensing agreement.$50/acre fee – this fee is due after approval of the application and must be submitted with the signed licensing agreement.

- Inspector travel costs including time to and from the growing area to take crop samples for THC content analysis; - Costs of transporting crop samples to a lab for THC content analysis; - Laboratory fees for testing crop samples; - Costs of equipment and supplies used in sampling; - Departmental time reviewing applications, preparing licensing agreements and issuing licenses; - Other administrative costs

Please note that the fees charged will only cover THC testing for one composite sample taken to represent the entire licensed crop. Licensees that wish to have individual growing areas or varieties tested separately will be responsible for paying any additional laboratory costs.

Guidance on Submitting Proof of a Certified Seed Source

Maine law requires that industrial hemp be planted using a certified seed source. The industrial hemp rule (Chapter 274) defines a certified seed source as one that is certified according to AOSCA (Association of Seed Certifying Agencies) or other approved standards and comes from plants that were tested during the active growing season and found to produce industrial hemp with 0.3% THC content or less. The Department understands the very limited availability of industrial hemp seed and the certified seed source requirements are difficult or nearly impossible to meet. While the Department is required to verify and collect documents which indicate the industrial hemp seed planted comes from a certified seed source, at least for 2017, we can be somewhat flexible on the form this certification may take. Acceptable forms of certification could include a letter, form or other written verification or combination of these documents that at a minimum includes:

Third party (someone other than the applicant and the grower of the seed) THC content lab test results for the industrial hemp. The third party should be identified on the testing results;THC content test results must be for the variety or varieties included on the application and preferably for the specific lot of seed to be planted;Results of THC content testing and the date tests were conducted;The name of the seed supplier and origin of the seed.

As industrial hemp seed certified by AOSCA, or other official seed certification programs becomes more available, the Department will review and revise our policies and issue stricter guidelines for acceptable documentation of seed certification.

Augusta Civic Center January 10-12, 2017

BPC will present a three-hour training session to prepare growers for the P1ivate Pesticide Applicator Core exam. In the afternoon, Core and commodity exams will be administered only to those who attended the training.Space is limited.*10:15-1:15 Training2:15-4:00 Exams

The Maine Board of Pesticides Control has a new information technology system. Licenses and notices are now being sent via email instead of through the postal service whenever possible, which means you will receive them much faster if we have your email. Please send your email address to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Attention to those with concerns about Question 1~

With the extremely close margin of under 3000 votes and votes still being counted, we want the public to understand adult use has not been signed in yet. We anticipate a call for a recount and then the governor must still sign it into law. It will take at least 9 months for the State to implement the program and create rules.

The medical program continues to care for the patients of Maine as usual. You must possess a valid medical cannabis recommendation to possess and use. Nothing has changed. Caregivers and dispensaries may only provide medical cannabis to card holding patients. Please be patient as the details are made known.

MMCM will be conducting business as usual. The office is moving to a new location this next week and will reopen December 1st. Cheryl is still available by phone at 207-596-3501 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MMCM Statement for questions asked... regarding which way to vote. Vote NO!

MMCM's primary mission is to maintain and improve access to safe medicinal cannabis for the patients of Maine and we have been unable to spend our limited resources on this debate over the re-regulation of cannabis "like alcohol". However, with the increased attention from both social and traditional media, our phones have been ringing off the hook with members and others seeking guidance and information . For this reason we feel it is necessary to clarify the issues as we see them should this initiative pass at this time.

Although there is language in the referendum specifically protecting Maine's Medical Marijuana Program, there are many other details of the referendum that threaten it. Additionally, in other states, after a vote to "legalize" marijuana, the legislative and rule making process that follows has negatively impacted those states' medical programs severely. We are now hearing positions and attitudes that reflect those threats in conversations with representatives and government officials, and as well in news reports from the media. For these reasons we feel this referendum has a serious potential to adversely affect patient support and access to good quality medicinal cannabis and the caregiver model in Maine's Medical Marijuana Program.

We encourage our members and others to read both Dr Sulak's and Canna Care Docs' recent posts that provide good, detailed, and balanced reviews of the issues. We've also included links to the referendumas well so you can see for yourself how these issues arise from the language.

MMCM will continue to focus our attention on protecting and improving patient and caregiver rights under Maine's Medical Marijuana Program, but felt that with so much happening it was important to provide some guidance to those who having been looking to us for it.

Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Program - Sales Tax letter for Caregivers

This document is in response to the many questions and concerns received by the State Electrical Inspectors concerning the wiring of medical marijuana facilities (grow facilities). This is not a “how to” document. This document is meant to inform the public, medical marijuana growers and licensees of the Electricians’ Examining Board (licensed electricians) about State laws and rules pertaining to grow facilities. These laws and rules apply to all business/commercial entities including grow facilities. There are no new laws or interpretations here.

Any person growing for him/herself may only wire a grow facility in that person’s own single family dwelling provided the person owns and occupies that single family dwelling and it is used solely as a single family dwelling. That person may or may not be required to obtain an electrical permit from a local municipality. Owners of grow facilities should check with the town or city to see whether an electrical permit is required. Please be responsible! There is a lot of electricity involved even in a small grow facility. The potential for fire and/or electrocution is definitely present if the wiring is not done correctly. If you have no wiring experience, please hire a licensed master or limited to house wiring electrician to wire a personal medical marijuana facility in your home.

Any marijuana caregiver grow facility, regardless of where it is located, requires an electrical permit for that electrical installation from a town, city or the state, whichever entity has jurisdiction. Even in a single family home or an accessory building associated with a single family home, a caregiver facility must be wired by a licensed master electrician and a permit must be obtained. Again, this is not a new requirement. A barbershop or beauty shop in a single family home has historically required a permit. In anticipation of questions on this point, the applicable laws are listed below.

· State law that requires all wiring be done by an electrician (32 M.R.S. § 1201).· Single family dwelling may be wired by a homeowner under certain conditions (32 M.R.S. §1105).· Permits are required (32 M.R.S. § 1102-B) for electrical installations with certain exceptions (32M.R.S. § 1102-B(5)). A medical marijuana grow facility is not a manufacturing facility.· The National Electrical Code defines a one family dwelling as: “A building that consists solelyof one dwelling unit.” NFPA 70 Article 100.

More...

Can a Maine medical marijuana patient or caregiver buy or own a gun?

One of the questions I run into most frequently in my practice is, "Can a patient or caregiver legally buy or own a gun in Maine?" The short answer is 'no,' under federal law, and even under Maine law, being a patient or caregiver creates additional legal risk for gun owners. This post will address some of the laws affecting medical marijuana patients, caregivers, and gun owners at both the federal and state levels.

Federal Law

Q: Is a medical marijuana user permitted to buy a gun from a licensed dealer under federal law?

A: No. Under the federal Gun Control Act of 1968, it is illegal for any person to sell a firearm to a person who is "an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance." Because the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) treats anyone who uses marijuana as an "unlawful user" (since cannabis is a Schedule I drug under the CSA), it is federally prohibited to sell a firearm to anyone who uses cannabis.

A firearms dealer is required to ask each prospective buyer, on the background check form, if the buyer is a user of illegal drugs. Because a medical marijuana patient is considered an "illegal" drug user under the CSA, a patient who uses medical marijuana must answer "yes" to that question, or commit perjury. If a patient were to answer untruthfully and later faced federal charges, it could come to light that the patient bought the gun illegally and falsified the background check. This would likely carry additional fines and add to a potential prison sentence.

Q: Is a medical marijuana user permitted to possess a gun or ammo under federal law?

A: No. It is prohibited, under the federal Gun Control Act of 1968, for anyone who is "an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance" to even possess any "firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce." Since virtually all firearms and ammunition have been shipped or transported interstate (this includes the parts they're made from), it is prohibited under federal law for a cannabis user to even possess a gun or ammo.

It is true that virtually everything a medical marijuana patient or caregiver does with cannabis is prohibited at the federal level, and that it is currently a U.S. Department of Justice policy not to prosecute people who lawfully participate in state medical marijuana programs. However, this policy could potentially change at any time. Thus, any patient or caregiver who owns a firearm is at risk of federal prosecution.

Maine Law

Q: Are there any additional prohibitions under Maine law against a cannabis user buying a gun from a licensed dealer?

A: No, Maine law does not provide any additional prohibitions or penalties for firearm sales to cannabis users above and beyond those provided under federal law.

Q: Are there any additional prohibitions under Maine law against a medical marijuana user or caregiver possessing a gun or ammo?

A: No, however, that isn't the end of the story. While Maine law does not prohibit a person from possessing or owning a gun simply because that person uses medical marijuana, being a patient or caregiver does pose additional risks to Maine gun owners. In the event that a patient or caregiver were charged with a Maine drug offense, prosecutors could allege involvement of a gun in the offense to enhance the charges. For instance, if the state decided a firearm was sufficiently related to a caregiver's drug trafficking charge, the charge could be enhanced to "aggravated trafficking," with increased potential jail time and fines.

Conclusion

In short, for a law-abiding Maine medical marijuana patient or caregiver to own a firearm does expose him or her to increased risk of fines and incarceration at both the federal and state levels. Many understandably feel that the federal prohibition against medical marijuana users owning firearms is a violation of patients' Second Amendment rights. However, until the law changes, patients and caregivers should be aware of the serious legal risks posed by gun ownership.

For more information on the legal landscape of medical marijuana and gun ownership, contact Dubois Law.

MEDICAL CANNABIS ADVOCATES

As a medical cannabis advocate, you should be aware that the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) budget has been helping defendants win in federal court. Beginning with the Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana ruling last October, to dropping the case against Harborside this May, to the McIntosh victory in the 9th Circuit last month, the amendment has been protecting safe and legal access for patients. The amendment was passed in 2014 and 2015 thanks in part to the support and efforts of medical cannabis activists like you!

Earlier this year, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted overwhelming to include it in next DOJ budget. However, the amendment is set to expire at the end of September and the House has yet to vote on it. If the amendment expires, the federal prosecutions against those obeying their state medical cannabis laws could resume once again.

WE NEED YOUR HELP, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION!!!!

Many towns are drafting zoning ordinances and moratoriums for medical marijuana businesses. It is crucial that we stay on top of what is happening in our towns. As we attend town meetings we have discovered there is a lot of mis information being shared. This is an opportunity for us to educate our communities. We encourage members to read local papers and to please contact MMCM immediately if a meeting to discuss zoning has been scheduled or added to the agenda. It is important for MMCM to attend as well as members of that community. Some towns are trying to prohibit where patients and caregivers can grow, process and consume cannabis. We are working hard to ensure the rules make sense and patients and caregivers rights are protected.

Free Disposal of Banned, Unusable Pesticides Available to Maine Residents

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry sent this bulletin at 08/24/2016 10:05 AM EDT